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13 Feb 2006 : Column 1702W—continued

Prisons

20. Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes have taken place in the number of (a) males and (b) females imprisoned since 1991. [50409]

Mr. Charles Clarke: The number of people imprisoned, which includes those remanded in custody, was 45,626 in 1991 of whom 44,082 were males and 1,544 female. In 2005 there were 76,190 people imprisoned, 71,676 males and 4,514 females.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the drop-out rate for prison officers within two years of recruitment at each prison; and if he will make a statement. [44352]

Fiona Mactaggart: The proportion of prison officers leaving the service within two years of beginning their careers as officers is 11.2 per cent. This figure includes both newly recruited officers and existing Prison Service staff who converted to the officer grade. The nature of the prison officer role means that the Prison Service considers it acceptable that eight out of nine new officers stay in post for more than two years. A breakdown of the drop-out rates within two years of starting, by geographic area is shown in the table. Highest drop out rates are recorded in London and the South East, where more competitive and fluid employment markets operate.
Drop out rates for prison officers between January 2002 and December 2003



Establishment
on joining
Number of newly recruited officers and conversions January 2002 to December 2003
Percentage
who left within
two years
Acklington372.7
Albany2512.0
Ashwell2512.0
Askham Grange1010.0
Aylesbury2313.0
Bedford1618.8
Belmarsh949.6
Birmingham20311.3
Blakenhurst6312.7
Blundeston147.1
Brinsford296.9
Bristol345.9
Brixton6322.2
Brockhill1822.2
Buckley Hall180.0
Bullingdon7327.4
Bullwood Hall1330.8
Camp Hill238.7
Canterbury20.0
Cardiff2313.0
Castington190.0
Channings Wood150.0
Chelmsford2619.2
Coldingley120.0
Cookham Wood1315.4
Deerbolt420.0
Dorchester90.0
Dover20.0
Downview2821.4
Drake Hall3821.1
Durham350.0
East Sutton Park30.0
Eastwood Park293.4
Edmunds Hill368.3
Elmley432.3
Erlestoke4124.4
Everthorpe90.0
Exeter267.7
Featherstone70.0
Feltham19117.3
Ford250.0
Foston Hall2634.6
Frankland380.0
Full Sutton832.4
Garth214.8
Gartree1910.5
Glen Parva2313.0
Gloucester1735.3
Grendon254.0
Guys Marsh439.3
Haslar119.1
Haverigg130.0
High Down385.3
Highpoint7211.1
Hindley273.7
Hollesley Bay812.5
Holloway9813.3
Holme House190.0
Hull847.1
Huntercombe4522.2
Kingston70.0
Kirkham30.0
Kirklevington Grange714.3
Lancaster90.0
Lancaster Farms214.8
Latchmere House10.0
Leeds4810.4
Leicester234.3
Lewes296.9
Leyhill20.0
Lincoln273.7
Lindholme1414.3
Littlehey2321.7
Long Lartin263.8
Low Newton382.6
Maidstone2828.6
Manchester348.8
Moorland342.9
Morton Hall4613.0
New Hall4714.9
North Sea Camp130.0
Northallerton922.2
Norwich3112.9
Nottingham283.6
Onley4810.4
Parkhurst342.9
Pentonville10721.5
Portland1723.5
Preston1414.3
Ranby283.6
Reading1833.3
Risley647.8
Rochester1811.1
Send1323.1
Shepton Mallet10.0
Shrewsbury80.0
Stafford205.0
Standford Hill60.0
Stocken234.3
Stoke Heath439.3
Styal397.7
Sudbury40.0
Swaleside7516.0
Swansea80.0
Swinfen Hall90.0
The Mount3823.7
The Verne20.0
Usk/Prescoed10.0
Wakefield310.0
Wandsworth8517.6
Warren Hill3218.8
Wayland210.0
Wealstun229.1
Weare1618.8
Wellingborough2910.3
Werrington1816.7
Wetherby300.0
Whatton230.0
Whitemoor664.5
Winchester2516.0
Woodhill886.8
Wormwood Scrubs5915.3
Wymott224.5
Prison Service total3,89511.2

 
13 Feb 2006 : Column 1705W
 

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prison wings, having been closed awaiting refurbishment, have been reopened this year without work being completed. [47569]

Mr. Charles Clarke: No prison wings have been taken out of use for refurbishment and brought back into use this year without any work being completed on them.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have been (a) tested and (b) found positive for alcohol at each prison for each month since April 2005; and if he will make a statement. [48417]

Fiona Mactaggart: This information is not collated centrally.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) passive and (b) active dogs are deployed at each prison; and if he will make a statement. [48421]

Fiona Mactaggart: Passive and active drug dogs are a part of the Prison Service drug supply reduction policy. The following table shows how many of each type of dogs are deployed at each prison in England and Wales.
Breakdown of dog allocation across the Prison Service

PassiveActive
North West area
Buckley hall1
Garth22
Haverigg22
Hindley
Kirkham
Lancaster castle
Lancaster farms
Liverpool
Preston
Risley13
Styal11
Thorn Cross
Wymott33
Area office1511
North East area
Acklington21
Castington22
Deerbolt22
Durham65
Holme House22
Kirklevington
Low Newton23
Yorkshire and Humberside
Askham Grange
Everthorpe
Hull
Leeds
Lindholme
Moorland Closed
Moorland Open
New Hall11
Northallerton
Wealstun
Wetherby
Area office1514
East Midlands
Ashwell22
Foston Hall22
Gartree22
Glen Parva32
Leicester12
Lincoln22
Morton Hall11
North Sea Camp
Nottingham2
Onley21
Ranby32
Stocken33
Sudbury22
Wellingborough22
Whatton
Area office1
West Midlands
Birmingham33
Blakenhurst21
Brinsford1
Brockhill
Drake Hall11
Featherstone11
Hewell Grange
Shrewsbury11
Stafford12
Stoke Heath12
Swinfen Hall12
Werrington
Area office
Wales
Cardiff11
Swansea112
Usk/Prescoed
Eastern
Bedford22
Blundeston22
Bullwood Hall11
Chelmsford22
Edmunds Hill22
Highpoint32
Hollesley Bay11
Littlehay22
The Mount22
Norwich33
Warren Hill11
Wayland32
Area office
London
Brixton22
Feltham2
Holloway22
Latchmere House
Pentonville23
Wandsworth11
Wormwood Scrubs1
Kent
Blantyre House
Canterbury
Cookham Wood
Dover
East Sutton Park
Elmley
Maidstone
Rochester
Standford Hill
Swaleside
Area office67
Surrey and Sussex
Coldingley11
Downview22
Ford
High Down11
Lewes
Send21
Thames Valley/Hampshire/IOW
Albany12
Aylesbury11
Bullingdon22
Camp Hill11
Grendon/Spring Hill21
Haslar
Huntercombe11
Kingston21
Parkhurst12
Reading1
Winchester33
South West
Bristol32
Channings Wood22
Dartmoor12
Dorchester22
Eastwood Park22
Erlestoke11
Exeter22
Gloucester2
Guys Marsh1
Leyhill11
Portland12
Shepton Mallet11
The Verne11
Area office13
Contracted prisons
Altcourse33
Ashfield1
Bronzefield11
Doncaster22
Dovegate21
Forest Bank21
Lowdham grange11
Pare22
Peterborough11
Rye Hill32
Wolds21
High Security
Belmarsh66
Frankland56
Full Sutton23
Long Lartin23
Manchester33
Wakefield36
Whitemoor45
Woodhill33
National Dog and Technical Support Group
0
7
Total222242

 
13 Feb 2006 : Column 1708W
 

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serving staff in the Prison Service are in receipt of a Long Service Award; and if he will make a statement. [48425]

Fiona Mactaggart: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, approximately 2,900 staff are eligible for the Director General's Long Service Award, having served 25 years in the Prison Service (or 25 years in the civil service, with 20 of those years in the Prison Service).

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to reduce the supply of (a) controlled drugs and (b) mobile telephones into HMP Wandsworth; what assessment he has made of their effectiveness; and if he will make a statement. [48510]

Fiona Mactaggart: Wandsworth has developed robust anti-trafficking measures, using intelligence and visible deterrence including wall patrols and dogs. All visitors to prisoners are warned of the risks they are taking if they try to smuggle drugs. All visitors are subject to standard search procedures using prison staff and passive drug dogs. The prison works closely with the Metropolitan police in action against organised drug gangs. Regular searching of prison staff takes place to check that contraband is not being brought into the prison. Intelligence is assessed against individuals suspected of corruption. A substantial number of mobile phones have been seized over the past 12 months as a result of a combination of searching and intelligence. The number of mobile phones seized has impacted on the trade of drugs. This is evidenced by a year on year reduction in the Mandatory Drug Testing (MDT) rate. MDT failure rates in November 2004 were at 18 per cent. compared with 12 per cent. in November 2005.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons in (a) England and (b) the north east hold more prisoners than their normal certified level; and by how much each is over its limit. [48662]

Fiona Mactaggart: As at 3 February 2006 there were no prisons in (a) England or (b) the north east that held more prisoners than their certified operational capacity.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the number of prisoners in (a) England and (b) London who (i) enter and (ii) successfully complete education training and employment upon release. [48703]

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office routinely collects data on the proportions of prisoners in England and Wales reporting having employment, training or
 
13 Feb 2006 : Column 1709W
 
education (ETE) arranged on release. The latest figures for November 2005 show that 35 per cent. of prisoners about to be discharged reported having ETE arranged.

The figure for prisoners being released from London prisons (not the same as returning to live in London) is also 35 per cent. It should be noted that the figures refer to the proportions of prisoners reporting having ETE arranged and no checks are routinely made to examine the proportions who actually do enter ETE on release or how soon after release this occurs. No information is currently collected on the proportions or numbers of discharged prisoners who successfully complete any training or education after release or how long discharged prisoners stay in employment.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in (a) England and (b) each prison in London entered education training and employment in each year since 1996–97. [48705]

Fiona Mactaggart: There are no records kept of the numbers entering education, training or employment (ETE) in custody. Education is measured in outcomes as opposed to entries, and employment and training in prisons are not measured as specific activities during custody. Information is recorded for prisoners leaving establishments in England with ETE arranged.

ETE outcomes also include those who attended FRESHSTART appointments at Jobcentre Plus. FRESHSTART is the initiative whereby prisoners who do not have a job or training place to go to on release are linked into employment, training and benefits advice and support immediately after release. Figures for ETE are available for the last three years and are recorded in the table.
Figures for England and London for prison service area

DischargesETE at discharge
2002–03
England81 ,74820,451
London
Brixton1,01371
Feltham577151
Latchmere House185147
Pentonville1,701226
Wandsworth1,795266
Wormwood Scrubs776164
London total6,0471,025
2003–04
England83,80132,512
London
Brixton1,015113
Feltham520176
Latchmere House147100
Pentonville1,779536
Wandsworth1,587357
Wormwood Scrubs991400
London total6,0391,681
2004–05
England82,03139,361
London
Brixton788144
Feltham351147
Holloway (F)663192
Latchmere House151143
Pentonville1,719630
Wandsworth1,477631
Wormwood Scrubs1,251585
London total6,4002,471

 
13 Feb 2006 : Column 1710W
 

Mr. Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have been released from Bronzefield Prison, Ashford in each month since it opened. [49872]

Fiona Mactaggart: The figures in the table are for final discharges only and do not include discharges to court or hospital.
Number
2004
June1
July28
August33
September50
October46
November52
December51
2005
January46
February49
March48
April61
May51
June61
July54
August45
September45
October47
November45
December42
2006
January35
Total890

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for the underestimate of the overall cost of the building programme at HMP Chelmsford; why the underestimate was discovered as early as one month after building work commenced; what steps are to be taken to rectify the situation; and if he will make a statement. [48369]

Fiona Mactaggart [holding answer 2 February 2006]: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is currently carrying out a review to establish the reasons for the underestimate. The outcome of this review should be available early in the new financial year.


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